Introduction
The TSA is a 2 hour test administered by Cambridge Assessment. It is primarily taken by Oxford applicants and to a lesser extent applicants to Cambridge as well as UCL.
Test Format
Section One
This is a 90 minute MCQ test with 50 questions testing students on their reading and comprehension skills, mathematical, spatial, as well logical reasoning.
Each question has 5 possible answers, of which one is correct. In calculating the final score, the TSA takes into account how well other candidates performed in the same test. This means that the same raw score may yield a different final score depending on which year the TSA was taken in and the students’ performance in that year.
Applicants should aim for a final score of 70. For the years 2013 to 2016, a final score of 70 translates to a raw score of between 36 to 40 marks out of 50.
Section Two
This segment involves a 30 minute written essay with a maximum of 1200 words. Candidates get to pick from 4 possible essay questions. In writing the essay, pay close attention to the question and make sure that you are answering the question (as opposed to a question which you prepared for). Adopt a clear and logical structure in your essay. Candidates are not expected to have any specialised knowledge in relation to the questions asked.
In contrast to section one, the essay is not marked by Cambridge Assessment but instead sent to the tutors of the individual universities that you are applying to.
Oxbridge Subjects Requiring the TSA
For Cambridge, only applicants for Land Economy need to take the TSA. On the other hand, a variety of courses at Oxford will require the TSA, including:
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Economics and Management
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Experimental Psychology
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Geography
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Human Sciences
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Philosophy and Linguistics
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Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
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Psychology and Linguistics
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Psychology and Philosophy
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Chemistry*
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History and Economics*
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For the last two subjects, applicants are only required to take Section One of the TSA.
Preparing for the TSA
You should focus your efforts on Section One because it is far more crucial for a candidate’s application and also easier to prepare for than the essay. Although the questions are difficult, they follow a certain structure (this applies to the critical thinking questions in particular). Once you know what type of question it is, you will be able to tackle it accordingly. The following is a brief summary of the different question types that you might get in the TSA:
1. Summarise the conclusion of a passage
These questions are comparatively easy. They require candidates to read the passage clearly, and summarise the conclusion. The main skill tested here is your ability to process relevant information and determine whether the answer is an accurate reflection of what is written in the passage.
One useful tip is to read the opening or closing sentences. These tend to be fairly accurate summaries of the entire passage. In addition, it is useful to summarise the passage first without looking at the answer choices so as to avoid selection bias.
2. Identifying the main flaw
These questions require candidates to analyse the arguments in the passage and identity logical inconsistencies. For these questions, it is often helpful to read the passage over a few times. Look for statements that seem far-fetched or illogical given the context of the passage.
3. Identifying the underlying assumption
Many statements are made with certain assumptions in mind. The candidate’s task is to identify the assumption that the writer has adopted in forming his argument. More often than not this is a subconscious assumption that is not explicitly stated in the passage, which is why students typically find assumption questions to be the most difficult. Skim the passage quickly to look for leaps in logic between sentences or within sentences. Read the passage more than once if needed.
Once you select an answer, try to apply the assumption identified back to the passage. The correct answer, when read in conjunction with the passage, should make more sense than the other options.
4. Choosing which option best illustrates the key argument
These questions require students to identify the key idea or concept in a passage and then select an answer which best illustrates it. Pay attention to the subtleties involved. For instance, if a concept is “hard work should be rewarded” it does not follow that “laziness demands punishment” and any answer choice that suggests this may not be the best answer.
5. Choosing which option is the best analogy for an argument used in the passage
6. Choosing the piece of information that would most weaken or strengthen the writer’s argument
Questions like these are relatively easy. Typically, two of the options given in a ‘strengthen’ question may in fact oppose the argument and vice versa. In a question where you are asked to pick an answer which would most weaken an argument, a few choices might in fact have the opposite effect. The key to tackling such questions is to have a good grasp of what the actual argument is.
FAQ
Q: Where can I download past TSA papers?
A: You can download them from the following website:
Q: When and where do I register for the TSA?
A: The registration deadline is 15 October and can be done either through your school (if it is registered as a test centre) or an authorised test centre. The list of authorised test centres can be found at: www.admissionstestingservice.org/find-a-centre. After registering, you can then take the TSA at the same centre where you registered for the test.
Q: When are the TSA results released?
A: You will be able to access your score around mid January. This will be after you receive news of the offer decision from your college.